Changes in student motivation over the final year of high school

The final year of high school in New South Wales (Australia) is characterised by a high stakes, performance-oriented learning environment. This article is a report of the results of an investigation into the changes over time that may occur in the achievement motivation of final-year school students. Two sets of analyses of repeated measures are reported. The results indicate that declines occur in students’ attributes of productive achievement motivation, such as performance-approach learning goal orientation and academic selfefficacy, with concomitant increases in non-productive attributes such as selfhandicapping strategies, anxiety and depression. These findings are discussed in the light of a model of achievement motivation (Anderman & Maehr 1994) and Bandura’s (1993) self-efficacy theory. For many students, undertaking the New South Wales (NSW) Higher School Certificate (HSC) during the final year of high school is a challenging and positive undertaking. Such students possess the resources to meet the demands of the task. They are able to develop and maintain a productive and adaptive tableau of motivational attributes, enabling them to respond to a demanding array of assignments, examinations and deadlines – all within a context of performance and competition. For some other students, the demands of the HSC will, at times, tax their capacity to respond effectively. Students who find it difficult to match the demands of their final school year with the resources available to them may experience a decline in motivation and confidence, a loss of enjoyment and an increase in negative emotional states. Recent research has shown that changes in students’ achievement motivation attributes and affective distress can occur between the beginning of Term 1 in Year 12 and prior to the Trial Examination period (Smith, Sinclair & Chapman 2002), and that Year 11 and 12 students report levels of negative emotional states that exceed normal limits (Hodge, McCormick & Elliott 1997; Smith & Sinclair 2000). These changes in motivational and affective attributes may arise for a variety of reasons. Firstly, optimal performance is expected continuously over a 12 month